Pimenta, Adamor Lopes (1936–2020)

Adamor Lopes Pimenta was a pastor, accountant, canvasser and administrator in Brazil.

Adamor Lopes Pimenta was born on August 26, 1936, in Paraná da Eva, city of Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil. Son of Fábio Teixeira Pimenta and Arine Lopes Pimenta, he had six siblings: Amazonilo, Amazonita, Raimundo, Maria Emília, Arline and Agenor.¹ When Adamor was still a child, his parents were divorced, marrying again later with other spouses. In her second marriage, his mother had seven more children: Arine Filha, Tereza, Nelma, Vilma, Lindalva, Rosalva and Waldemar Filho. His father married Creuza Pinho, who already had a son named Raimundo and is considered as one of his brothers.²

Adamor was raised in a devoted Catholic family until nine years of age when, in 1945, Pastor Gustavo Storch held an evangelistic series in the region of Paraná da Eva.³ As a result, his parents were baptized into the Adventist faith in June of the same year, by Pastor Storch, becoming one of the first converts in the region.⁴ Following their steps Adamor was baptized on June 29, 1949, by Pastor Walter Streithorst.⁵ As a consequence of Storch’s and other evangelistic efforts, the number of Adventists in the area grew considerably.

In order to meet the brethren’s needs of denominational education, the Canaã Adventist Primary School was founded, where Adamor attended from 1st to 4th grade of elementary school.⁶ However, Adamor was unable to continue his studies due to his family's financial limitations. Thus, at the age of twelve, he began working along with his father in agriculture.⁷

When Adamor reached 18 years of age, he enlisted in the military service of Manaus. He entered the military in June 1956 and when scheduled to work on Saturdays, he got permission from the army commander in order to be released on this day of the week. Over the three years of recruitment, Adamor was acknowledged in his roles and had the opportunity to witness by remaining faithful to Sabbath keeping. During this period, he decided to resume his studies, which had been interrupted since primary school.⁸

On May 4, 1960, Adamor married Ruth Linhares at the Central Church of Belém. Together they had three children - Ronaldo, Regina and Rejane. His wife was a great encouragement for him to continue studying, in addition to also contributing to the Church in the financial area. She worked at Belém Adventist Hospital,⁹ Adventist Agricultural-Industrial Academy¹⁰ and Grão Pará Adventist Academy.¹¹

While attending the second year of high school, he left the army after accepting an invitation to join the canvassing work. His first canvassing field was the city of Belém, state of Pará, in June 1959.¹² By the providence of God, Adamor improved his selling skills and therefore reached great achievements. After six months of work, he was appointed by Pastor Narciso Lüdke as the students' campaign leader during the vacation season. On account of his good conduct and leadership skills, Adamor was called by pastor Aldo Carvalho to be director of the canvassing department in the Lower Amazonas Mission.¹³

Adamor occupied this position for two years and eight months, and in March 1963 he was appointed as a cashier and accountant for the North Coast Mission, in Fortaleza, state of Ceará.¹⁴ In order to be better prepared he completed a technical course in Accounting in 1965.¹⁵ With the desire to be more useful to the Church, and following the advice from Pastor Tercio Sarli, Adamor entered the Theology program at Brazil College (now UNASP-SP), in São Paulo city, graduating in 1970.¹⁶ The following year he accepted a call to be pastor of the district of Rio Branco, state of Acre. He served there for a year and nine months, until he was appointed as treasurer for the North Coast Mission. Adamor was ordained to the ministry on June 23, 1973, by Pastor João Wolff.¹⁷

In March 1976 he accepted a call to be treasurer at the Adventist Agro-Industrial College in Rio Preto da Eva, state of Amazonas.¹⁸ In 1978, he was elected treasurer of the Amazonas Central Mission, where he organized stewardship programs and instruction summits for church treasurers. Furthermore, it was during this period that the Manaus Adventist Clinic was founded, which seventeen years later became the Manaus Adventist Hospital.¹⁹

Adamor occupied this position until February 1979, when he was appointed as president of the Lower Amazonas Mission, headquartered in Belém, state of Pará.²⁰ During his term, two new Luzeiro medical-missionary boats were put into action, with the aim of providing medical and dental assistance to the riparian.²¹ On August 1982 Adamor was elected president of the Central Amazon Mission.²² Over this period he was the promoter of great evangelistic projects such as In Every Neighborhood a Church, In Every Street an Adventist and Thousand Days of Harvest, which resulted in the baptism of more than 8,000 people. Under his management the headquarters of the Central Amazon Mission was built.²³

In January 1987 he was elected president of the West Amazon Mission, based in Porto Velho, state of Rondônia. New districts were opened, the Porto Velho Adventist School was renovated, and baptismal classes were organized in all the field’s churches.²⁴ After a two-year period, in January 1989 he accepted a call to be secretary of the North Brazil Union Mission, where he participated in evangelistic campaigns, in addition to leading a project for the construction of a new administrative building for the union. After three years as secretary, he was elected by the South American Division as president of the North Brazil Union, where he served until his retirement in 1998.²⁵

Although retired Adamor continued active in church activities by holding baptisms, meetings, weddings, preaching and giving Bible studies. He is author of an autobiography entitled Norte do Brasil: memórias de um líder [Northern Brazil: memories of a leader], published in 2012.²⁶ He lived his last days in the city of Belém, state of Pará, alongside his wife Ruth Linhares,²⁷ until his death in June 24, 2020.²⁸

Adamor Lopes Pimenta is remembered for his 42-year contribution to the SDA Church in Northern Brazil. As a result of his administrative and evangelistic efforts, hundreds of people were baptized, as shown by the Ministry magazine, who recognized him as one of the people who baptized the most in the year of 1971.²⁹

Sources

Cavalcante, Raimundo Nonato. “Vida e Ministério de Adamor Lopes Pimenta.” Monograph, Brazil College, 1989.

Cleveland, E. E. “Men of The Century.” Ministry, June 1972.

Pimenta, Adamor Lopes. “Breve Relato de Minha Vida”, in: Minha vida de pastor: cinquenta e três pastores jubilados falam de sua vida e de seu ministério. Edited by Tercio Sarli. Campinas, SP: Certeza Editorial, 2007.

Pimenta, Adamor Lopes. Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder. 1st edition, Belém, PA: Gráfica Alves, 2012.

“Projeto Luzeiro,” Adra Brasil (Online), November 11, 2016. Accessed on March 07, 2019, https://adra.org.br/projetos/amazonas/luzeiro/

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1977 and 1990.

“Uniões e Instituições.” Revista Adventista, year 69, n. 01, January, 1974.

Valle, Arthur S. “Agro-Industrial School Produces Tons of Tomatoes.” ARH, May 26, 1977.

Notes

1. Adamor Lopes Pimenta, “Breve Relato de Minha Vida”, in: Minha vida de pastor: cinquenta e três pastores jubilados falam de sua vida e de seu ministério, ed. Tercio Sarli (Campinas, SP: Certeza Editorial, 2007), 19; Adamor Lopes Pimenta, Norte do do Brasil: Memórias de um líder (Belém, PA: Gráfica Alves, 2012), 13.↩

2. Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 13, 15.↩

3. Ibid., 17.↩

4. Adamor Lopes Pimenta, “Breve Relato de Minha Vida,” in Minha vida de pastor: cinquenta e três pastores jubilados falam de sua vida e de seu ministério, ed. Tercio Sarli (Campinas, SP: Certeza Editorial, 2007). 19.; Adamor Lopes Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder (Belém, PA: Gráfica Alves, 2012), 19, 21.↩

5. Adamor Pimenta, interviewed by Samara Souza, Engenheiro Coelho, São Paulo, March 20, 2019.↩

6. Pimenta, “Breve Relato de Minha Vida,” 19.; Adamor Lopes Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder (Belém, PA: Gráfica Alves, 2012), 27.↩

7. Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 28; Adamor Lopes Pimenta, “Breve Relato de Minha Vida”, in: Minha vida de pastor: cinquenta e três pastores jubilados falam de sua vida e de seu ministério, ed. Tercio Sarli (Campinas, SP: Certeza Editorial, 2007), 19.↩

8. Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 31-33.↩

9. Ibid., 36, 38, 42.↩

10. “The General Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1977), 310.↩

11. “The General Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1990), 426.↩

12. Pimenta, “Breve Relato de Minha Vida,” 19-20.↩

13. Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 43, 52.↩

14. Ibid., 52.↩

15. Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 54; Pimenta, “Breve Relato de Minha Vida,” 20.↩

16. Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 55, 57.↩

17. Ibid., 59, 66; “Uniões e Instituições,” Revista Adventista, year 69, n. 01, January, 1974, 24.; Adamor Pimenta, to Samara Souza, Engenheiro Coelho, São Paulo, March 20, 2019.↩

18. Arthur S. Valle, “Agro-Industrial School Produces Tons of Tomatoes,” ARH, May 26, 1977, 15; Pimenta, Norte do do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 85.↩

19. Pimenta, Norte do do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 91, 93-95; Raimundo Nonato Cavalcante, “Vida e Ministério de Adamor Lopes Pimenta” (Monograph, Brazil College, 1989), 25.↩

20. Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 99.↩

21. Ibid., 107.↩

22. Pimenta, Norte do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 109.↩

23. Ibid., 112, 121; Raimundo Nonato Cavalcante, “Vida e Ministério de Adamor Lopes Pimenta” (Monograph, Brazil College, 1989), 28.↩

24. “Projeto Luzeiro,” Adra Brasil, November 11, 2016. Accessed on March 07, 2019, https://adra.org.br/projetos/amazonas/luzeiro/; Pimenta, Norte do do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 123,126.↩

25. Ibid., 127, 128, 131, 133.↩

26. Pimenta, Norte do do Brasil: Memórias de um líder, 4.↩

27. Pimenta, “Breve Relato de Minha Vida,” 23.↩

28. The Pimenta Family, interviewed by Unasp, Engenheiro Coelho, São Paulo, June 24, 2020.↩

29. E. E. Cleveland, “Men Of The Century,” Ministry, June 1972, 10.↩